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So Sunshine cannot comment on a sale that he hasn’t seen or doesn’t exist.

There was a wonderful symmetry to the way this story leaked, and then faded away.

It blew up in a U.S. outlet, giving plausible deniability to the Toronto-based principals if the NFL gets huffy about loose lips.

The timing was perfect — just before the Bills show up on Sunday, when they’re top of mind in the city.

The brevity of it — a one-day cycle. Pop your head out, make your intentions (fuzzily) clear, and then recede into the shadows where the real work is being done.

It was capped by the retractable denial, issued by a guy we’ll never hear from again. This was no accident. This is how the high-end corporate communications game works.

In order to credit the idea that the Bills will end up staying in Buffalo, you have to believe several things.

First — that the will exists locally to keep them. It does.

Second — that the money to buy them will materialize. It might.

Third — that a huge capital investment beyond the $1 billion (U.S.) purchase price will be further made. This is where it gets iffy.

In order to make a Buffalo-based ownership group attractive, it must commit to building a new stadium. At that point, we’re beyond heritage and romance. It’s one thing to own a team. It’s another to pour tear-inducing amounts of money into one that plays in a financially strapped city of only 250,000 residents.

These days, you don’t just build a stadium. You build a stadium, a half-dozen luxury condos, a shopping mall and a casino. You build an event destination around the arena — something that looks a lot like the L.A. Live complex MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke constructed in Los Angeles.

And you don’t build that unless you’re absolutely sure people will work, live and play there. You have to spread the risk around.

That’s a huge gamble in Buffalo. It’s a money factory in Toronto.

There’s no doubt the NFL would like to see the Bills remain where they are. The league prizes stability. But the bottom line will always be the deciding factor — and that’s clearly in Toronto’s favour.

Yes, the Bills won’t leave Western New York until 2020. That sounds like forever, but it’s well within the acceptable window. It’ll take years to build the team a new home somewhere on Toronto’s waterfront and transition them over the border. Until then, the two cities can split games between the Ralph and the Rogers Centre.

Buffalo knows in its heart that this is finally for real. They’re understandably torn. Hopefully, by the time it’s over, we’ll be able to explain to them that we’re not taking their team away. We’re ensuring its longevity. Most importantly, this doesn’t need to be zero sum.

We’re always willing to share with friends.

Week 12 Record: 7-7

Treading water at this point, which is just how Vegas likes it. That way you keep coming back right up until they put the pre-Christmas whammo on you.

Year to Date: 85-73

Green Bay @ Detroit (Thurs., 12:30 p.m.)

The Packers are 0-3-1 since QB Aaron Rodgers was injured. They like to say it’s a team game, but it really isn’t. Lions (-6)

Oakland @ Dallas (4:30 p.m.)

The Raiders don’t win much on the road, but they’re great against the spread (4-1). And when has Tony Romo ever wilted under the national spotlight? Raiders (+9.5)

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (8:30 p.m.)

Pittsburgh has won three in a row, and all by double digits. Steelers (+3)

Jacksonville @ Cleveland (Sun., 1 p.m.)

Like watching a fistfight at a retirement home. These two teams shouldn’t waste their meager energies against each other. Jaguars (+7)

Tennessee @ Indianapolis (1 p.m.)

Indianapolis wins here, and they essentially have the AFC South wrapped up. Colts (-4.5)

Chicago @ Minnesota (1 p.m.)

Chicago doesn’t inspire much confidence, but the Vikings secondary is playing flag football these days. Bears (+1)

Miami @ NY Jets (1 p.m.)

Amazingly, either of these teams could line up in a wild-card spot after this week. The Jets have been awful, but Miami is spiraling on the road. Jets (-1.5)

Arizona @ Philadelphia (1 p.m.)

Take out a Week 1 loss in St. Louis, and the Cardinals only lose to really good teams (Saints, Seahawks, 49ers). They’ve also won four in a row. Cardinals (+3)

Tampa Bay @ Carolina (1 p.m.)

The spread is a bit luxurious, but hard to imagine Carolina knocked off its roll until next weekend in New Orleans. Panthers (-8.5)

New England @ Houston (1 p.m.)

Since Houston has essentially surrendered the season, this one could be truly ugly. Patriots (-7.5)

Atlanta @ Buffalo (4:05 p.m. at the Rogers Centre)

Buffalo is 1-5 in Toronto, but surely the frenetic atmosphere of depressingly sober, un-tailgated support will be the difference. Or maybe the defence. Bills (-3)

St. Louis @ San Francisco (4:05 p.m.)

St. Louis always causes San Francisco problems, and this spread doesn’t help things. Rams (+9)

Denver @ Kansas City (4:25 p.m.)

Don’t make Peyton Manning angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. Broncos (-5)

Cincinnati @ San Diego (4:25 p.m.)

You put 41 by the Chiefs in Kansas City, and you get the benefit of the doubt. Chargers (-1)

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